A crowd of protesters stormed the compound of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, following a Quran burning incident during a protest in Sweden. Salwan Momika, an Iraqi living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of the Quran outside Stockholm’s central mosque, an act that has been condemned by numerous Muslim-majority countries.
Videos shared on social media showed dozens of protesters entering the embassy’s courtyard in Baghdad. Local security forces were deployed, and the protesters left after approximately 15 minutes inside the building.
Muslims consider the Quran to be the sacred word of God, and any intentional damage or show of disrespect towards it is deeply offensive. The Quran burning occurred on the first day of Eid al-Adha, one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
Initially, Swedish police had granted Mr. Momika a permit for the protest, citing free-speech laws. However, they later announced that the incident was being investigated for incitement of hatred.
The Quran burning has sparked anger in various Muslim-majority nations, including Turkey, which is a NATO member and holds influence over Sweden’s potential membership. Turkey, which had previously been angered by a Quran burning protest earlier in the year, expressed its dissatisfaction with allowing “anti-Islamic actions” under the pretext of freedom of expression. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated, “We will eventually teach the arrogant Westerners that insulting Muslims is not freedom of thought.”
Countries such as Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan strongly criticized the Quran burning. Iraq described it as a reflection of a hateful aggressive spirit that goes against freedom of expression, while Iran and Egypt called it provocative and unacceptable. Saudi Arabia, currently hosting the annual Hajj pilgrimage, stated that such hateful acts cannot be justified.
Sweden’s Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, acknowledged that the Quran burning was legal but deemed it inappropriate. The incident has sparked riots in Sweden in recent months, and while police initially rejected similar protest applications, courts later ruled that they should be allowed on the grounds of freedom of expression.
